Kia Ora Aotearoa: Landing in New Zealand and Our First Day in Rotorua with Teenagers

Eat Clean, Health and Dream | Australia and New Zealand Summer Adventure with Two Teen Boys

After eight days of travelling and driving our way up Australia's east coast from Melbourne to Brisbane, it was time for the next part of our summer adventure.

Aotearoa, New Zealand.

We were due to land in Auckland at 5am on Monday 17th August, although we actually arrived slightly early.

And, thankfully, the flight had been incredibly smooth.

A massive thank you to Jetstar, because all three of us managed to sleep for most, if not all, of the journey across the Tasman.

Considering we had been travelling until late the previous night, that was exactly what we needed.

That familiar feeling of being back, as we landed, I had that familiar feeling.

Relief.

Excitement.

And a real sense of being back somewhere that I have such a strong connection with.

New Zealand is somewhere I have spent a lot of time over the years, and somewhere that holds so many memories and has always been a special place for me.

This time, though, I was bringing the boys.

I was excited to show them the places I love and introduce them to another side of my travelling life.

Australia had been a completely new adventure for them.

Now it was time for me to show them a country that feels incredibly familiar to me.

Kia Ora, Aotearoa. We were back.

A quiet Auckland Airport at 5am

Because it was so early in the morning, Auckland Airport was relatively quiet.

Our transit through passport control, customs and the airport was quick and easy.

Before long, we were heading straight towards the familiar shuttle transfer bay for our car hire.

This was something Craig and I have done many times before.

Even after all the travelling, there was something reassuring about knowing exactly where we were going and what we were doing.

It was still dark outside as we left the terminal building and then the temperature hit us.

I had pre-warned the boys that New Zealand was going to feel considerably colder than Australia.

They had been told to make sure they had coats and warm clothes.

Thankfully, they had listened, and me packing them on their behalf.

The tiredness hadn't quite hit me yet.

But the cold definitely had.

At that point, I was very ready for a hot coffee!

Collecting our little New Zealand road trip car

We headed to our car hire depot. I had booked our rental car with Bargain Rental Cars

(https://www.bargainrentalcars.co.nz/auckland/)

A company Craig and I have used during previous trips to New Zealand.

As usual, they were incredibly quick and efficient at getting us sorted

.

The boys were able to get into the car and stay warm while everything was being organised.

For this part of the trip, I had deliberately asked for something smaller than the SUV, Craig and I would normally hire.

And this time, we ended up with a little Toyota Aqua hybrid.

Small.

Economical.

And exactly what we needed for our New Zealand adventure.

Soon enough, we were leaving their base in Auckland.

Still in darkness.

And heading south.

A quick stop at our storage unit

Craig and I keep some supplies there, and I wanted to pick up a few things before we headed south.

Most importantly, some backup sleeping bags and extra bedding in case. As New Zealand temperatures can be cold, at this time of year particularly overnight.

And as I was travelling alone with the boys, I thought it was sensible to be prepared.

Extra bedding.

Extra blankets.

Sleeping bags.

Sometimes it is better to have something and not need it than wish you had packed it!

It didn't take us long.

Soon, we were back on the road.

This time, heading down State Highway 1 towards Rotorua.

A change of plan

Originally, our New Zealand trip had been planned slightly differently.

We had initially intended to head north before travelling south.

But after looking at everything, changing the order simply made more sense.

So south it was.

And Rotorua was our first major stop.

I had been looking forward to bringing the boys here.

It is one of those places that offers so much.

Nature.

Geothermal activity.

Culture.

Adventure.

And plenty to do for families with children and teenagers.

But first?

Food.

Because it didn't take long before the boys' stomachs started calling.

And, if I'm honest, I was still thinking about coffee.

Becoming New Zealand pie converts

Driving along State Highway 1, I knew there were several service centres and bakeries along the route.

So that seemed like the obvious place to stop.

A quick coffee for me.

And breakfast for the boys.

I was actually quite surprised by what they chose.

Both went for savoury pies.

And I even managed to convince Albie to try a potato-topped one.

Success!

Both boys were now officially becoming New Zealand pie converts.

Anyone who has travelled around New Zealand will know that a good pie is almost part of the experience.

Unfortunately for me, finding gluten-free versions is not always easy.

But when I do find one, I definitely make the most of it!

With coffee in hand and food sorted, we were ready to continue.

Quiet roads and sunshine

The roads were surprisingly quiet.

The sun was shining.

And although I had travelled through this part of New Zealand many times before, there is something about being back on the road here.

The landscapes.

The open spaces.

And the feeling that you can simply keep driving.

It wasn't long before we reached the outskirts of Rotorua.

By then, though, I was ready to stop. Park and stretch my legs and definitely rest.

The problem was, we were ridiculously early.

Too early to check in

I'd booked us into Tasman Holiday Parks Rotorua (https://tasmanholidayparks.com/north-island/bay-of-plenty/rotorua/)

for two nights.

But we were far too early to even cheekily ask to check in.

So instead of rushing around, I parked by the lake, where we chilled and went for a short wander.

There was plenty around us to look at, including the steamship and a playground for Albs.

The sun was shining brightly.

But the wind?

Absolutely biting.

Still, after being in a car for several hours, it felt good to get out and move.

I had also warned the boys about something else.

The smell.

Welcome to Rotorua!

Anyone who has been to Rotorua will know exactly what I mean.

That familiar sulphur smell associated with the area's geothermal activity.

I had pre-warned the boys.

Yes, you can smell it.

And yes, it is quite distinctive!

But after a while, you genuinely stop noticing it.

The geothermal activity is part of what makes

Rotorua so fascinating.

And the boys were about to discover plenty more of that over the following couple of days.

Eventually, though, we were all ready to get inside somewhere warm.

And thankfully, check-in time finally arrived.

Our warm and cosy base at https://tasmanholidayparks.com/north-island/bay-of-plenty/rotorua/

Tasman Holiday Parks

Walking into our studio motel room was a relief.

It was warm.

Cosy.

And, best of all, the heating had already been put on before we arrived.

Exactly what we needed after an overnight flight, an early morning drive and a chilly walk around the lake.

The room had a double bed on one side and two single beds opposite.

There was a dining and kitchen area.

And a bathroom at the back with our own shower.

Simple.

Practical and in wood panelled cabin style.

And perfect for the three of us.

We had somewhere warm to sleep.

A kitchen to prepare meals.

And plenty of facilities around the park.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, we headed out to get some supplies- so off to Pak N Save we went.

Then it was time for something I had been looking forward to.

The pools.

Thermal pools and swimming

One of the reasons I had booked two nights at https://tasmanholidayparks.com/north-island/bay-of-plenty/rotorua/

Tasman Holiday Parks Rotorua was the facilities.

With the boys in tow this time, the pools were always going to be a winner.

We headed straight for the thermal pools and swimming pool.

After the cold wind earlier in the day, the warmth of the thermal water was a very welcome luxury.

We relaxed.

The boys swam.

And for a little while, it felt like the travelling had finally caught up with us.

We could stop.

There was no need to rush.

I had planned two nights because there was plenty we wanted to do around Rotorua.

It is a brilliant location when travelling with children and teenagers because there are activities for all budgets.

Free things to do.

Paid attractions.

Outdoor adventures.

Geothermal experiences.

And plenty of places simply to explore.

A very unusual power cut

The holiday park was incredibly quiet while we were there.

As we were getting settled later that afternoon, our power suddenly went out.

Typical luck for me!

I had only just put a load of washing into the tumble dryer.

I popped over to reception to ask whether there was a problem.

The reception lady was absolutely brilliant.

Friendly.

Helpful.

And quick to help.

I was told that it was highly unusual and apparently hadn't happened in a long time.

They contacted the power company.

And by the time I got back to our room, it wasn't long before the electricity came back on.

Even better, the receptionist had restarted my tumble dryer after the power cut interrupted it.

Those little things really do make a difference when you are travelling.

Especially when you're trying to get washing dry!

So a massive thank you to the team at Tasman Holiday Parks Rotorua for being so helpful.

Our first proper meal in New Zealand

For dinner, we stayed in of course as we had done for all our evening meals on this trip

One of the benefits of having self-catering accommodation.

We made a homemade beef chilli and rice.

Simple.

Filling.

And ideal after a long day.

The boys had fruit afterwards.

Then, naturally, Albie discovered something else.

Whittaker's chocolate.

For anyone who knows Albie, he has a serious weakness for chocolate.

And it didn't take him long to decide that Whittaker's was going to be a new favourite.

So, of course, there was a little bit of chocolate too.

One more dip in the hot pools

Later in the evening, we decided to head back to the hot pools.

Another dip before bed.

Because when you have access to thermal pools, you may as well make the most of them!

Afterwards, we wandered around the holiday park before heading back to our room.

We settled down to watch an episode on YouTube from a sailing channel called Untide, which Albie had discovered.

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Then came the inevitable phone call home.

"I can tell you're in New Zealand"

I called Craig that evening which was the norm morning and evening calls to fit with time differences.

And before I had really said much, he commented that he could tell I was in New Zealand.

Apparently, there was something in my voice.

The warmth.

The spark.

The happiness.

And I knew exactly what he meant.

There is something about being back here.

I don't know whether it is the memories.

The landscapes.

The ocean.

The people.

Or simply the familiarity.

But New Zealand has a way of bringing out a particular kind of happiness in me.

And this time, I was getting to share it with my boys.

That made it even more special.

An early night... sort of

Eventually, it was time for bed.

Well, as early as you can manage when you have a teenager sharing the same room!

We were all tired.

The previous 24 hours had included:

A late-night flight from Brisbane.

Sleeping across the Tasman.

Landing in Auckland before dawn.

Collecting a car.

Driving south.

Stopping for our first New Zealand pies.

Exploring Rotorua.

Swimming.

And finally soaking in the thermal pools.

Not bad for our first day.

And tomorrow?

The real Rotorua exploring would begin. We had plenty planned.

Geothermal landscapes.

New places for the boys to experience.

And more opportunities to show them why Aotearoa, New Zealand has such a special place in my heart.

The Australian road trip may have ended.

But our New Zealand adventure was only just beginning.

Kia Ora, Aotearoa.

We were ready to explore.